Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Word came today that Rich Rodriguez was changing another long standing Michigan tradition. That being the elimination of the 33 year old Sunday coaches show, "Michigan Replay." Rather than a weekend review show, RichRod will have some sort of mid-week preview show.

All I can can say is...it's aboutGod damn time.

"Michigan Replay" was, much like the football program itself, an anachronism. A product of another time and place that has long passed by. When fans were lucky to see Michigan 2-3 times on TV a season, and Bo Schembechler ruled Wolverines football with an iron fist, the existence of "Michigan Replay" made perfect sense. But in the 21st century, with highlights, commentary and news available 7/24/365, it made no sense.Coaches shows are a waste of time for both the coaches and the fans, a Mickey Mouse Sunday morning highlights/review show even more so.

The vast majority of coaches shows usually have lower production qualities than cable public access. The coaches NEVER say anything inflammatory or of import. The only news made in any coaches show...Hell, there's never any news made in a coaches show. The next time one makes news or gives the fans vital information will be the first time.

I hear/see any college football head coach speak to the media, I immediately move on. They guard their words and thoughts so closely, they speak in little more than platitudes and clichés. I have better things to do than hear RichRod, or any other other coach, for that matter, say inspid tripe like "Neither team deserved to lose," or the phrase Rasheed Wallace once used to make a point how useless most post game pressers can be, "Both teams played hard."

There's no need for a big time college football coach to make nice on TV for 30 minutes a week on a show only the most outright fanatical of fans watch. Let alone a coaches show that was taped a few hours after the end of a game. With the advent of cable and the interwebs, we've already seen game the highlights 10X over, and processed all the news and information 100X over, making shows like "Michigan Replay" redundant.

The cancellation of "Michigan Replay" is one Wolverine tradition that should not be mourned. Just say "good riddance," and move on with your day. Though considering the backwards looking, living in the past, change aborrhant, stick-in-the-mud nature of much of the Michigan fanbase, I'm sure we'll see have to deal with the typical bitching and moaning from the Wolverines' aged blue-haired fans.

I ask the blue hairs, please, for everyone's sake, let "Michigan Replay" pass on into the ether from which it came. Just let it go, folks. Let it go...

Subscribe to TWFE

Who"s behind the scenes at TWFE?

I'm Al Beaton, aka Big Al, a life-long Detroit sports fan. Being fed up with the lack of quality sports coverage by the MSM, I started "The Wayne Fontes Experience.". 1100+ posts later, it remains to be seen if that was a good idea... (And no, I'm not Eddie Munster, despite what my widow's peak may have you thinking)